Louisiana’s pension systems had an imposing level of debt, amounting to about $18.2 billion and representing lower funding levels than many other states in 2017, a new report has found.

But the state has shown some signs of progress in its ability to pay down that debt – called “unfunded accrued liabilities” or UAL – which has dragged on Louisiana’s budget for years, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts’ annual report on state pensions.